Chemical

This is a list of the Wisconsin Project’s work related to chemical weapons. Toxic chemicals have long been used in warfare, most recently by Iraq, against its Kurdish population and Iran, and by Syria, against civilians. The Wisconsin Project focuses on countries seeking to expand their chemical weapon capabilities, and tracks dual-use chemical sales to these countries.

On April 24, 2017, the United States sanctioned 271 employees of Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) in response to the Assad government’s April 4 sarin gas attack in Khan Sheikoun. The designations aim to further punish SSRC itself, rather than the contribution of any single individual. As such, the action highlights SSRC's central role in Syria's non-conventional weapon programs.

Syria’s chemical weapon stockpile is reported to be one of the largest in the Middle East. According to a study prepared by French intelligence agencies, Damascus is understood to possess over 1,000 tons of chemical agents and precursors. This stockpile is thought to include several tens of tons of VX, several hundred tons of mustard agents, and several hundred tons of sarin. The Washington Post reports that the majority of the initial substances for Syria’s VX and sarin are stored separately, not in their mixed, final form.